Machine for ironing and pressing hats



Aa As Aran-'r orrion.

RICHARD MURDOCK, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

MACHINE FOR IRONING AND PRESSING HATS, BONN ETS, &o.

Speccation of Letters Patent N o. 1,635, dated June 17, 1840.-

chine for Pressing Bonnets, Hats, and other Articles, which is described as follows, reference being had to the annexed drawings of the same, making p-art of this specification.

Figure l is a perspective View of the machine; Fig. 2, the universal joint of the ratchet wheel and inclined shaft; Fig. 3, sliding box placed in front of the joint Fig. 2; Fig. 4, bevel gearing for turning the bonnet block; Fig. 5, hands, rod, perforated arm, right-angle lever and ratchet wheel &c; Fig. 6, perspective view of the swinging frame sustaining the table; Fig. 7, parts forming the universal joint of box K; 8, heater and rod; Fig. 9, the under side of the table; Fig. l0, perspective view of the crotched seat.

Similar letters refer to `similar parts in the figures. V

The frame A of this machine is made of a suitable size and strength to contain andl support the several parts of the machine hereafter described.

The sills B, B, and E are arranged in a manner to resemble the letter A, having a post C bolted between the two side sills where they approach each other and form the angle, and an obtuse angled standard D fastened to one of the side sills B and cross sill E at their intersection, and an upright F secured to the other side sill B at its intersection with the cross sill E and two side rails G, G', uniting the standard D and upright F to the post C, all well secured together by bolts, pins, or otherwise.

A long lever H is placed in a notch made in the head of a vertical shaft I attached to the post C having a pin J passing horizontally through the sides or forks of said sh aft I which embraces the lever and also through the lever and serving as its fulcrum, said shaft turning to the right and leftl as required in collars which embrace necks thereon, said collars being screwed to the post C one of which is seen at C2 by which arrangement the lever H not only has a vertical movement but it also has a horizontal movement to the right and left. To the under side of this lever is attached a rectangular box K for containing a heated iron inserted therein or removed at pleasure by convenient way for heating the box, which box 1 s made smooth on the under side for pressing the bonnets, &c., smooth, said box being attached to the lever H bya univer-' 'means of a tongs, pin, or in any suitable-and sal joint L for allowing it to move in any f" direction required for smoothing plain or convex surfaces. It may, however, be governed 1n its horizontal movements .by

means of two parallel plates p p2, Fig?, Y forming part of the universal jointand a hook L or catch, which is attached to the side of the lever H whose point passes through said plates p p2, secures them toeither to the right or left.

One of the plates p is made as rep-resentedin Fig. 7 and is secured to the under side of the lever, the perforation for the hook to pass through being seen at p3 and -gether and prevents them from movingH the perforation for the shank o at p4. The

other plate p2 is circular and forms partof `the swivel. It has two ears c e to admit the into a cavity made in the lever H. In said plate p2 are made a number of perforations o, which are, when required, to be brought direct-ly under the perforation p3 in the upper plate so that the hook k shall pass through them both.

The lever H, Fig. 1, is balanced by means Y of a counter weight Q placed on its shorter end. It is sometimes made in two parts fastened together by bolts or pins as represented in the drawing at H2 which renders it susceptible of being folded for the convenience of transportation. A vertical shaft R for carrying the block on which is placed the crown to be pressed turns in a collar a2 fastened to the long rail Cr and in a step o secured to the side sill B under it by means of a horizontal bevel wheel S, Fig. 4, fixed on said shaft R, into which gears a vertical bevel wheel T fixed on a horizontal crank shaft U turning in the upright F. A circular stand V is fixed on the vertical shaft Rn block with a crown thereon must be. placed Q Y and secured on the upper or square end of i 55 fthe rightand left movementcf thelever H the vertical shaftR and resting `on the circular stand V and a heater being put inthe pressing box K. The operator lays hold of Y gthe'leverI-I with the left hand and with the right hand takes hold of the crank handle U and turns it` which turns the bonnet block and cro-wn while at the same time the heated pressing bo-x K isV guided and appliedto-the crown in any manner desiredlby means of the lever H and the luniversal joint L.

The pressing box K isv constructed in such j manner that thefheater may be drawn out by means of apairof tongs or pincersthat istosay-by having lone-end hinged as at rY, Fig. 1,so as to be opened and letV down out of the wayof'the tongs and when it is again turned up andV closed it is `thus held by means of a catchV as represented inthe drawing.` And instead of the tongs a sim# ple straight rod will answer to draw out the heater by: having said heater perforated to admit said rod`` v y Fig. 8 represents the heater and rod. Y. A To press the sides of the crown of the bonnet the following apparatus is attached to' the angular standard D. A horizontal shaft X is passed through the angular standard D near'its upper end and is turned by a crank Y, von which shaft is xed a ratchet wheel Z, 2

at the center of which is attached a shaft a by lmeans of a universal rjoint b, which last mentioned shaft Ais turned to a cylin' drical formvnear the middle, where it `turns in a .sliding box c?, Fig. 3,supported and sliding infra crotched Vseats Figs. l and 3, bolted to the angular standard, which boxc2f is.V raised or Vlowered inthe crotch s by means of a set screw @Z2 passing'through the seat ofthe crotch and pressing against the under sideof the'box c2. so that byV turning saidf screw to the rightthe sliding box is raised and the inclinationof the shaft` increased and by. turning it to vthe left a con-H trary effect is'produced,vthe angle'ofthe` Shaft being thus changed as may berequired by the taper of the bonnet. The block with' a crown is then put -on the squareipart ofthe shaft, which enters a square aperture in the center of the blockto prevent 4its turning. The 'operator turns theV crank Y with the right hand, whichturnsthe block and crown pressing box by meansof the lever in the vmanner before described for `pressing'the and with the left handzhe` applies the heated top: or crown. This` shaft may be turned by A without the `aidofl the'crankl by `means of twohandsf1 Pwhich drop into the notches Y. of the ratchet wheel e, which hands are attachedby Vjoints toa right angledV lever g, Figs. Vl and, one at each end, vibrated Vby 'theright andleft movement of thelever as beforementioned, a segment perforated Y arm Y Y uprojecting from the `vertical.shaft'I ofthe lever H. A. connecting rod connects said 1 front.

`arm l1.v to the end of the 4vertical arm of the right angled lever g. The hands f1 f2 are `kept in gear withtheratchet wheel e by a cord l', pulley 2, andweight 3, the cord being attached to the hand f1 and the hand f2 is kept -in gear, byfa weight 4L on its opposite end, so that as'the lever is moved to the `right and left the right angled lever (whose fulcrum is at its angle and is'attached to the angular standard and rail) Vand hands are moved, which turn the rag wheel and thus' turn the shaft and block thereon, the hands alternatelyV acting on the `rag wheel ineach movement of the lever, the speedy 4of the ratchet wheel being decreased by inserting the'end `of the connecting'rod z' into one of the holes in said arm tnearer tothe vertical shaft I, and increasing the speed by fixing the end of said rod` i farther from the shaft-I.` V:

A table'l, Fig-1, Von which the front o'f the bonnet is to be pressed, ishung` tothe post c Vina mannerto allowyi't to swing around horizontally to theright` or left `as may be required. It is a plain flatrectangular board il, resting on a swingingV frame m, Figs. 1 Vand 6, hung to the post c byfa vertical rod n passed through one end ofitand through an ear 05 fastened Sto the .post c and inserted is swung back frol'n` its position `under the pressingbox when notin useout of the way in the manner represented in the drawing Fig; 1` and when it is required to be l-used it "is brought around directly under theheated Vpressing box'which is applied to:` the bonnet front laid'onthe table by meansrof the lever H in` themanner before described fori pressingthe crown., And when any part of the front cannot be reached'by the presser the table is moved on saidpin so Ias -to bring the front within thecircle or sweep of the presser; s. The pressing boxfmay be retained at aright angle to the lever whilepressing the sideof the `crown and parallelcwi'th it when pressing 4the front bymeans of the be,-

fore. described hoolrh passing through'ithe paralleli plates p p2 and its vertical `motion will be governedby forming'the joint so as to `prevent the box passing butslightly the horizontal positionlto the 'left whendying parallel with 'fthe leverffor pressing :the y The y pin (gof)Y forsustaining the shaft man elevated position for pressing` the `corners of the crown. It is passed horizontally through the forks of the seat under the shaft. It is represented with a red cord attached to it. The sides of the crotched seat are curved and provided on the inside with ribs the segment of a circle described from the center of the universal joint against which the sliding box c2 moves and by which it is guided, so that the box shall be parallel with the shaft as it is raised or lowered by the set screw cl2, having grooves in the sides of said box to admit said curved ribs. The seat is also flanged on the back and provided with screw bolts and nuts for securingv it to the inclined post D. The pressing box may likewise be controlled by means of the lever in its motion on the axis independent of the surface on which it is pressing for the pressing of round crowns, &c., by arranging it in the following manner: Instead of inserting the long lever inl the notch in the head of the upright shaft I place therein and secure bythe bolt which forms the fulcrum of the lever a short shaft similar to the shafts used in the other universal joints each end of it being cylindrical is inserted into an eye or collar, which is firmly secured to the under side of the lever the lever being thus connected to the frame by a universal joint. The pressing box is connected to the lever by a joint formed by two cheeks projecting vdown from the under side of the plate said plate being firmly secured to the under side of the lever. Between the cheeks is embraced the middle part of the joint which projects up from a horizontal circular plate, the cheeks and middle being held together by a bolt passed through them horizontally at a right angle to the lever and forming the axis of the joint. The said horizontal circular plate is made thinner on the outside than in the middle and connected to the top of the pressing box by a cap in which it turns, which cap has a round hole in the center large enough for the middle part of the joint to pass up through, said cap being fastened down to the top of the pressing box by screws or otherwise and retaining under it the circular plate from which the middle part of the joint projects up. A hook or pin similar to that used in the above described original plan is connected to the pressing box by a joint at one end which allows the other end to rise and fall. The pin on the other end is placed in a hole which passes through the cap and top of the A pressing box and also through the circular plate in two places near its edge one of which is for retaining the pressing box at a right angle and the other parallel to the lever.

The counter weight is placed on the lever in such a position by inclining it or otherwise as shall bring the center of gravity in the center of the horizontal `axis of the upright shaft and cause the lever, &c., to remain in any position on either of said axes. A latch or catch is fixed to a block on the right side of the lever above the axis of the cross joint. On one edge of said latch a space is left having a sloped shoulderiabove and below-the said space being intended to receive the endV of the bolt of the cross `joint which is lengthened for that purpose and preventing the lever from moving on the axes which is parallel to it. Into 'each shoulder of the above space a set screw may be put for regulating the position or tightness of the lever held thereby. The above latch is so constructed as to fall against the bolt and a small pin in the lever prevents it going too far. When it is desired to liberate the lever a cord one end of which is attached to the latch and the other to the lever is drawn over a knob or pin inserted in the lever.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent consists- 1. In the combination of the shaft I, the curved arm it, right angled lever g, vthe hands f1 f2, and ratchet wheel in the inan-y ner herein described and these thus combined I claim in combination with the lever H and pressing box K for the purpose and in the manner described.

2. The method of adjusting the block on which the bonnet is placed by means of the shaft attached to the face of the ratchet wheel with a universal joint and the sliding box in the forked seat provided with a set screw as herein described.

3. The arrangement of the swinging table on which the front is pressed as before described.

Witnesses:

I-IENRY WHITE, JOHN WRIGHT.

Brenn. MUnDocK. j 

